


Stay With Me

by actualkoschei



Category: Horus Heresy - Various Authors, Warhammer 40k (Novels) - Various Authors
Genre: Comfort, Dreams and Nightmares, Jealousy, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-18
Updated: 2015-02-18
Packaged: 2018-03-13 13:25:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 857
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3383180
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/actualkoschei/pseuds/actualkoschei
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Luther pines and Lion sulks.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Stay With Me

The low light of the Invincible Reason at night glazes Lion El’Johnson’s golden hair to liquid silver. Luther, still unnoticed behind him, stops for a moment, breathless at the beauty of the man in front of him. His hearts ache, sharper suddenly.

Lion hears Luther’s footsteps, and turns towards him. His face is unsmiling, but his eyes soften as they meet Luther.

Luther swallows, mouth and throat suddenly dry. “I woke up in your bed, and you weren’t there.” There is a subtext there, that he hopes is not obvious. If you were not in your bed, then who’s were you in tonight?

Lion smiles, small and tight. “Did that worry you, Luther?”

Luther could never lie to the Lion. Even if he could, he sees no reason to. “It did. Where were you tonight?” Sharing a bed with one of your sons?

“I needed to take a walk.”

“Why?” Luther’s voice is sharp, suspicious and too harsh, and he can’t stop it.

“I couldn’t sleep. Why does this trouble you so much?”

Luther sucks in a breath, unsure whether he should, or can, proceed. “Permission to speak freely, my lord?”

Lion’s smile vanishes, and his eyes harden. “Granted.”

Goosebumps rise on Luther’s skin. “Were you with one of your sons? Did you leave me to go to another’s bed?” He is almost unsure if he wants to hear an answer.

Lion takes a step back, open shock on his face. “Luther, no! I… why would you think that?”

Luther’s eyes sting, tears coming no matter how hard he fights. “Because… I am old. And you are young, and glorious, and I am just a mortal. You’ve seemed so distracted lately, so distant from me. I don’t blame you if your attentions have strayed, honestly, I don’t. I’ve seen the way your sons look at you, and they are so strong and beautiful, they could give you what you need…” his voice cracks and breaks off.

“Luther.” Lion steps forward, and puts his hands on Luther’s shoulder. “Don’t say these things, don’t ever say them. I’ve been distant from you, I know, but it isn’t because of you, my dear one. And it’s not because I’ve found myself another lover, either.”

He slides an arm over Luther’s shoulder and pulls him to rest against his chest. “I’ve been having dreams, horrible dreams, and you feature in all of them. It made me withdraw from you. That wasn’t fair to you, I know, but I couldn’t help it. They woke me up tonight, again, and I needed to be outside, but I couldn’t. Walking through the ship was the best I could do. I’m sorry for what I made you think.”

Luther presses his face into Lion’s chest, shaking, and wraps his arms tightly around the other’s torso. “No, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have assumed, I should have…”

Lion strokes a hand over Luther’s short hair, and presses a kiss to the top of his head. “You are forgiven.” He murmurs. “Tell me what I can do for you?”

Luther closes his eyes, enjoying Lion’s touch, his warmth and strength and earthy smell. It lessens the tense pain in his hearts that had been building over the preceding few days. “Could you take me back to bed?” I want to lie with you. I want to feel you. I’m so tired. Please.

Lion’s smile returns, and widens, warm and gentle like the sun. “Of course. But first…” he pulls back and cups Luther’s face in his hands. “Will you kiss me?”

Luther obliges gratefully, leaning up and pulling Lion’s head down so their lips can meet and move against each other. Lion tastes like salt, and safety, Luther thinks.

They break the kiss, and stumble back to Lion’s bed, falling against the sheets together. Luther lies in the valley of Lion’s spread legs, head against his chest to feel the rhythm of his body, his beating heart and deep breathing. “I love you.” He whispers, desperate, worshipful. “So much, always, you don’t even know. I’m sorry for what I am. You deserve so much better. I’m jealous, and suspicious, you’ve seen that. And I’m mortal, frail, old. I’ll die one day, Lion, and you don’t deserve that.”

Lion has been silent through Luther’s outburst, but he responds now, whispering against Luther’s hair. “Do you think I am not painfully aware of your mortality?” His voice sounds choked. “Do you think that it does not haunt me, pain me almost constantly? I don’t know what I’ll do when I lose you, and the dreams I’ve been suffering make that thought worse than ever.”

“I die in your dreams?” The thought tugs painfully at Luther’s hearts.

“Worse.” Lion’s voice shakes. “You betray me. You turn to darkness, you leave me!”

Luther inhales sharply. “I’d never. You must know I wouldn’t, I couldn’t bear to leave you!” He crawls up to place a kiss on Lion’s forehead. “Be at peace, my beloved.”

Lion responds not with words, but by pulling Luther into him, hugging him so tight it almost hurt. “Stay. Stay with me, please.”

Luther smiles against Lion’s skin. “Always.”


End file.
